Gluten-Free Sweet Potato Corn Bread

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I have to admit that gluten-free baking is not my forte. I`ve been blessed to be tolerant of gluten, so wheat free does it for me meaning that I`ve had no need to seriously explore the world of sorghum and rice flours. Luckily, there are others out there who are very, VERY good without gluten in their larder: www.glutenfreegoddess.blogspot.com/. Goddess is a very appropriate word for this woman as she pumps out amazing gluten-free recipes and charm in every post she delivers. She also has somewhat of a fixation on chocolate which no one seems to be complaining about either. Enjoy this lovely bread with a hot bowl of Moroccan Yam Soup or simply by itself with a bit of butter.
3 large organic free-range eggs
1/2 cup extra light olive oil or vegetable oil
3/4 cup sweet potato puree
3/4 cup organic light brown sugar, packed
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup Bob`s Red Mill gluten-free stone ground cornmeal
1 cup Pamela`s Ultimate Baking Mix – (or your own flour mix with 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon baking powder, and a good pinch of sea salt added)
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp Pumpkin Pie spice blend
Sea salt, to taste.
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Grease the bottom of a 8-inch cake pan and dust it with cornmeal. I used a Springform pan.
3. In a large mixing bowl, whisk the eggs until foamy; add the oil; whisk again to combine. Add in the sweet potato puree and mix well. Add the light brown sugar, and bourbon vanilla extract, and mix to combine.
4. In a separate mixing bowl whisk together the dry ingredients: cornmeal, gluten-free flour mix, baking powder, cinnamon, Pumpkin Pie Spice blend, and sea salt.
5. Using a rubber spatula or wooden spoon, add the dry ingredients into the wet; and stir by hand just enough to make a smooth batter.
6. Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan.
7. Bake on a center rack in the preheated oven for about 45 minutes or so, until the cornbread is firm to the touch and golden. Check with a wooden pick, if necessary; if it emerges clean, the cornbread is done. [Remember, Dear Reader, I bake at high altitude, so please use your own tried-and-true guidelines for baking times.]
8. Cool the cornbread in the pan- on a wire rack- for ten minutes. Remove from the pan and continue to cool.
9. Serve slightly warm with a dab of your favorite butter or buttery spread.
Apple Raisin Spelt Muffins

Fruit Sweetened Apple Raisin Spelt Muffins

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These muffins remind me of my home town because they come from an old vegetarian restaurant called ‘The Big Carrot’.  Now, they remind me of my mom, because she makes them all the time. We can be at an airport, a beach, or any old family gathering, and these muffins are too! How can you go wrong with a sugar-free muffin!  Don’t be scared by the large scale ingredients, they freeze well and you’ll never have trouble finding people to eat them for you. 

Makes 24 large muffins

Dry ingredients:
      6 cups spelt flour
      1 cup raisins         
      1tbsp cream of tartar
      1tbsp baking soda
      ½ tbsp. sea salt

 Wet ingredients:
      2 cups whole pitted dates
      4 cups chopped apples
      1½ cups sunflower oil
      2 cups apple juice
      1/8 cup vanilla extract
      1¼ cups water

 1. Preheat oven to 350˚

2. Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl.

3. In a small pot, cover dates with water. Bring to a boil, turn off heat, and let cool. Puree in a blender or food processor.

4. Combine wet ingredients in a separate bowl.

5. Add wet to dry and gently fold together being careful not to over mix. Add large spoonfuls to well-greased muffin tins so that batter is just over the tops of the muffin tins.

6. Bake for 20 minutes, and then rotate tins.

7. Bake for an additional 10 minutes.  If baking large muffins or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. 

This recipe was taken from The Bar None Cookbook, a great cookbook from an even better vegetarian restaurant in Courtenay BC which is sadly no longer open.